Blog Posts by Tan Tock Seng Hospital

People shop for last minute decorations and gifts in Chinatown on January 22, 2011 in Singapore. (Getty Images)

By Wong Siew Li

The Chinese New Year (CNY) celebrations typically last for a full 15 days. Just as you think you survived the first few days of CNY holidays and your stomach is taking a break from the endless flow of pastries, nuts and soft drinks, the weekend is here and the same house visit ritual begins again! Not to mention, your colleagues have brought some of the goodies to the work place and the temptation cycle begins. So how do you keep your holiday spirit high but your waistline low? It is not too late to follow the below tips:

Nutritional Content of Popular Goodies

• Bak Kwa (1 piece, 57g)- contains 229kcal, 8g fat, 24g sugar with 15g protein
• Pineapple tarts (2 pieces, 40g) - 163kcal, 7g fat & 12g sugar
• Love Letter (4 rolls, 52g) - 224kcal , 6g fat & 19g sugar
• Shrimp Roll (10 pieces, 15g) - 46kcal ,4g fat & 0g sugar
• Kueh bangkit (6 pieces, 36g) - 137kcal,4 fat & 8g sugar
• Beehive cookie/ kueh ros - 149kcal, 7g fat & 8g sugar
• Nian gao (1/4 portion, 106g) - 245kcal, 0.5g fat

It becomes more difficult to maintain your waistline as you grow older. (Getty Images)

By Swapna Tony, Senior Physiotherapist

Malnutrition and unintentional weight loss are some of the health issues that many elderly people grapple with, so if one's pushing 70, and on the chubby side, should he or she even bother to try losing excess weight?

If one is pushing 70, and on the chubby side, the health risks of being overweight have to be definitely taken into consideration.

The most unhealthy pattern of weight gain is to continuously gain weight throughout life, which results in a risk of type 2 diabetes.

If the weight gain is due to lack of physical activity or unhealthy diet habits, then there is a need to reduce excess weight, which can lead to cardiovascular diseases.

Being overweight can also lead to joint problems, arthritis especially of the knees and hips, which can limit their function and activities of daily living (ADL).  It is also a major cause for loss of independence and exacerbates age-related decline in physical abilities.

For example, an elderly person

Consult with your doctor if you observe symptoms of prostate problems. (TTSH)

By Dr Chong Yew Lam

Perhaps you have recently noticed an urgent need to urinate more frequently, especially at night. Even though you have the urge, you find it is difficult to start urination, or the flow of urine comes out weak or interrupted. Occasionally, you lose control and the urine flows out before you reach the washroom. You may need to empty the bladder again soon after doing so, or you experience a painful or burning sensation upon urinating, or you notice blood in your urine or semen.

You should consult with your doctor if you experience any of the symptoms above. As these symptoms can also indicate the presence of other disorders, such as non-cancerous prostate enlargement (Benign Prostatic Hypertrophy - BPH) or prostatitis, undergoing a thorough check up will help determine the underlying cause.

However, not everyone with prostate cancer may experiences symptoms, so speak to your urologist about early detection.

Early detection

Increased public awareness and compliance